Plain links today · Disclosure
BWI vs DCA (2026): parking, rental cars and hotels compared
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall and Ronald Reagan Washington National are about 30 miles apart. Figures below come from the FAA (boardings), each airport's own parking and rental pages, and OpenStreetMap hotel locations — checked Oct 26, 2026. We never invent a price.
| BWI | DCA | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport | Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport |
| City | Glen Burnie, MD | Arlington, VA |
| FAA boardings rank (CY2025) | 26 · 12,274,134 | 28 · 12,003,594 |
| Cheapest official parking / day | $11(Long Term Parking A) | $25(Economy Parking) |
| Official lots on our page | 5 | 3 |
| Rental brands (airport list) | 9 | 9 |
| Verified hotels nearby (OSM) | 25 | 25 |
| Way.com page | Yes | Yes |
| SpotHero page | Yes | Yes |
| ParkSleepFly page | Yes | Yes |
Official parking lots
| BWI | Kind | Daily | DCA | Kind | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Term Parking A | Economy / long-term | $11 | Economy Parking | Economy / long-term | $25 |
| Long Term Parking B | Economy / long-term | $11 | Terminal Garage A (Garage 1) | Garage | $35 |
| Express Parking | Express / shuttle | $14 | Terminal Garages B/C (Garage 2) | Garage | $35 |
| Daily Garage | Garage | $16 | |||
| Hourly Garage | Garage | $30 |
Every rate is copied from the airport's own parking page and dated on our BWI parking and DCA parking pages. Hotel locations © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Guides for each airport
FAQ
How far is BWI from DCA?
About 30 miles between the airports in our nearby-airport graph (sourced with the airport coordinates). Driving time varies by traffic.
Which airport is busier, BWI or DCA?
BWI ranks higher by FAA final CY2025 passenger boardings: BWI is #26 in Busiest US airports · ranked by public data (12,274,134 enplanements) and DCA is #28 in Busiest US airports · ranked by public data (12,003,594).
Which has cheaper official parking, BWI or DCA?
On the published daily rates we copied from each airport's own parking page (checked Oct 26, 2026), BWI is lower at $11/day (Long Term Parking A) versus DCA at $25/day. Rates change; confirm on the official pages.
Do BWI and DCA list the same rental car brands?
BWI lists 9 brands and DCA lists 9 on their official rental pages (checked Oct 26, 2026). See each airport's car rental page for the names.
How many hotels are near BWI vs DCA?
OpenStreetMap lists 25 verified hotels near BWI and 25 near DCA within each page's search radius (checked Oct 26, 2026). Distances are straight-line.